【推荐3】Dancing Lions

This time of year, you might see lions dancing in the street as drums beat heavily. These aren’t real lions. They’re dancers in colorful clothes, celebrating a centuries-old tradition in China. It’s meant to bring good luck in the coming year. In many Asian countries, the new year is celebrated with the new moon that takes place in late January or early February.

Usually, a lion is made up of two dancers. One dancer controls the head, the other controls the tail. There are many different kinds of lion dances. The most wonderful moment might be jumping on high poles.

“I think of it as a sport,” says Anthony Huang, 15, a dancer at New York City’s Chinese Freemasons Athletic Club. Anthony has performed as the lion’s tail, but this is his first year controlling the head, which can weigh 20 pounds. The challenges are co-working with the other members in the group and following the music with the heavy head. It’s important for Anthony to pass on this historical dance form.

“I feel like this tradition really represents me,” he says.

Lion dances were once performed mostly by males. These days, the activity has become more inclusive(包容广阔的).

LionDanceMe is a group in San Francisco, California. On its dance teams, boys and girls work together. Sixteen-year-old Ananda Tang-Lee is a member. She used to see boys performing the lion dancing when she was little. She says, “But anyone can take it up. You have to believe in yourself, and have confidence that you can do it.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic(新冠肺炎疫情), LionDanceMe didn’t give up performing. Instead, the group showed its performances online. This has got the dance group even more excited to perform in person again, when it’s safe.

“It’s a different performance in real life,” says Isabella Yu, 16, who plays drums, “We bring a lot more than just the performance. We bring energy and excitement, too.”

Lion dancing will likely continue to develop gradually. But one thing that will never change is the sense of community among team members. “It’s really great, because we always have each other’s backs.” Ananda says, “We call it a family.”

【推荐1】Forgiveness (原谅，宽恕) means different things to different people. Generally, however, it includes a decision to let go of anger and thoughts of revenge (复仇). The act that hurt or displeased you might always be with you, but forgiveness can reduce its control on you and free you from the control of the person who harmed you. Forgiveness can even lead to feelings of understanding for the one who hurt you. How do you start to forgive? Try the following steps.

Calm yourself. To remove your anger, try a simple stress-management way. "Take a couple of breaths and think of something that gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, someone you love, " Frederic says.

Don't wait for an apology. "Many times the person who hurt you has no plan to apologize, " Frederic says. "They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don't see things the same way. So if you wait for people to apologize, you could be waiting an awfully long time. " Keep in mind that forgiveness does not mean balancing with the person who upset you.

Keep off the unpleasant. Mentally replaying your hurt gives power to the person who caused your pain. "Don't pay attention to your wounded feelings, learn to look for love, beauty and kindness around you," Frederic says.

Realize forgiveness is helpful. Research has shown that people who forgive have more energy, better appetite and better sleep pattern.   

Don't forget to forgive yourself. "For some people, forgiving themselves is the biggest challenge, " Frederic says. "But it can rob you of your self-confidence if you don't do it. "

How do animals live in the cold winter? Different animals have different ways to live in winter.

Some animals begin to collect (收集) their winter food in autumn. When it’s very cold, they stay inside their homes. They can eat the food they collected in autumn. Squirrels collect seeds and nuts. Beavers (海理) collect sticks. They are safe and warm in their homes in winter.

Many birds can’t find food in winter. So they fly from north to south in autumn. They return home in the next spring. For example, swans and geese fly away in winter. They can find food in the warm south.

Some animals sleep for a long time in winter. They eat much food in autumn and they eat nothing in winter. They are very hungry when they wake up in spring. They usually look for food in March or April. Bears, snakes and frogs are such animals.

Winter is cold in northern countries. But animals are smart. They can live through the winter safely.

【推荐3】Fire is useful and important to us. You use (1) it to cook meals everyday. But if you are not careful, the fire may take place anytime. Many people get hurt or die in fires. So knowing how to protect yourself in the fire is very important.

When the fire happens, the first thing you must do is to find safe routes (路线) to get away quickly. (2) If you are in the taller floors of the building, you can’t use the lift. You should run out along the stairs. From the lower floors of the building, you can jump out through the window if it is necessary.

(3) If you can’t get out of the room, you must be careful of the smoke.

(4) 事实上，大多数人在火灾中死于火灾中的浓烟雾。Find something wet to cover your nose and mouth. Keep low to the ground, and you will take in less smoke. And you can also open the window, keep your head outside to get fresh air and shout for help.

Remember: Nothing is more important than your life. You must leave everything behind, your money, your pets and so on. After you’re out, don’t go back for anything.